56 CALIFORNIA. 



habitants went glittering in gold and mother of pearl, rich 

 mines, and the flourishing condition of the kingdoms of Acu, 

 Tonteac, and Mareta ; whereupon the Governor of New 

 Gallicia was sent by the Viceroy of Mexico, with great hopes 

 of receiving a confirmation of these reports ; but either out of 

 spite, or because he had real cause to do so, he represented 

 all things as mean and despicable. 



The next expedition was made by Ferdinando de Alarcon, 

 who is reported to have sailed many leagues up a river called 

 Buena Guia, and there to have received homage of Nauca- 

 gatus, one of the chiefs of the Californian tribes. 



In 1542, the intrepid Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, to whom 

 the conquest of California has been attributed, explored the 

 Californian coasts, and discovered the Island of San Lucas, 

 and another called the Island of Possession. 



Thirty-five years later, in 1577, Sir Francis Drake"^ 

 landed in Upper California, in a region considered to be 

 situated north of San Francisco, which he called Neiv Albion, 

 and took possession of it in the name of QuEEN Elizabeth. 

 Here is the description which he gave of that country. 



" The country is well stored with deer, grazing up the 

 hills by thousands in a company ; the men generally went 

 naked all over, the women using only a piece of mat, or some 

 such thing, instead of an apron ; their houses were built only 

 of turf and osier, yet so wrought together that they served 

 very well to keep out the cold. In the midst of it was their 

 hearth, where they made their fire and lay all round about it 

 together upon several beds of bull-bushes. What their towns 

 were, or whether they had any, is altogether unknown." 



This description applies well enough to the northern 

 parts of San Francisco, known formally under the name of 

 QuiviRA. 



Since the Jesuits established themselves in that country, 

 in 1683, it has been better known, and it was considered 

 as an arid country, and poor in precious metals. In fact, 

 it was thought that the Jesuits concealed what they knew 

 about the riches of the country. These considerations 

 decided the enterprising Visitador, Don José de Galvez, 

 to go to California. He found arid mountains, water scarce, 

 the vegetation chiefly consisting of Mimosae, and no 

 traces of gold or silver. But he saw what good work the 

 Jesuits had done since their establishment in the country. 



'See Humming Bird, Vol. 2, p. 113. 



